The Brightest Star
by Nixi Stasia
Summary: Luke is left distraught and turns to the Professor when he loses someone for the first time.


**AN: I've been showing my boyfriend the world of Professor Layton and I came up with this whilst we were playing Spectre's Call together.**

 **I'll update my other stories soon too if you wanna check them out.**

 **Still don't own. Not cool enough, not smart enough, not... everything else enough.**

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The Brightest Star

It was a warm July evening in Gressenheller, London, when the Professor became alarmed at a sudden knocking- no, _banging-_ at the door. His first thought was Flora. The fourteen year old was having a study night at a friend's house, and so the first thought that occurred to him was that his adopted daughter had become injured or troubled, and the humid weather (for it had been rather stormy that morning) had deemed him unreachable by the telephone. His head perked towards the door with such a sudden jerk that his top hat tipped down his face slightly. Whilst he stood up he pushed his hat back into place before taking four big strides towards the door in a rush, and pulled it open without even looking through the hole...

"Luke...!"

The Professor was now even more alarmed to see the young thirteen year old boy at the door... With tears running down his face and his blue cap clutched to his chest.

"I'm sorry to bother you, Professor," Luke said, his voice muffled by his own tears. "But I had to get out to be on my own... And then I had to come and speak to someone... But I didn't want it to be my mum or dad..."

The Professor's face creased into a frown, his concern growing for what was troubling the poor boy so much that his sentences were chopped.

"Of course, my dear boy," The Professor opened the door wider as a gesture of inviting the troubled apprentice inside. "Come now, I'll make a pot of tea and we can talk."

"M'kay..." Luke murmured as he stepped into the Layton household and into the living room.

Within moments (for there was nearly always tea brewing in the Professor's house) the Professor placed a piping hot cup of tea beside Luke, before sitting opposite him with a cup of his own. He took a small sip and then smiled gently at Luke- a way of reassuring him.

"Now, would you like to tell me what's troubling you?" The Professor queried, almost fearful as to what the boy would respond with.

"Arianna..." Luke began with a deep sigh. It was a lot harder than he thought it would be to say it. "Arianna's died... My mum told me when I got home from school. I-it happened this morning."

The Professor paused for several moments, unsure how to respond. He, himself, as a man approaching forty had experienced death many times. Friends, family, the love of his life. His Father died shortly after Layton had been given the title of Professor, and his Mother had, too, not even a year later. That year had been a painful year for the Professor, but he knew now that year had helped him become the person that he was today... But how was he to explain that to a child who had never experienced a loss before? It quickly dawned on the Professor that the best thing the Professor could do would to not to tell Luke that it was going to be okay.

"I'm very sorry to hear that, Luke..." The Professor consoled. "Did the Golden Garden not help in treating her illness as much as it was thought too, then?"

Luke shook his head and loudly gulped down another gulf of tears.

"No... Dad said the illness must just have caught up with her..." Luke began to sob harder. "I-I hadn't been to visit for over half a year..."

The Professor paused for a second time. It really was proving a difficult challenge as what to say next to console his apprentice.

"There, there," the Professor stood up and gently patted the boy on the back. "Now, why don't you come into the garden with me. I have something to show you."

Luke perked his head up with curiosity. He mumbled another "M'kay" before stumbling to his feet and wiping his eyes on his sleeve. The Professor opened his mouth to speak, but decided now was not the time for a lecture on how to be a gentleman. Instead, the Professor simply led his apprentice out into the garden.

Expectantly, Luke looked around the garden. The sun had set about an hour ago, and so Luke had to squint through the darkness in search for whatever it was the Professor had wanted to show. The garden seemed to be as it always was; neglected. Flora had attempted several times to fix the garden up, plant flowers, vegetable seeds and bushes, but it had soon been realised that her gardening skills needed as much work on as her cooking skills. Weeds grew from every which angle, upwards from crooks and crevices, and almost half the garden was taken over by an overgrown hedge- who knew what inhabited the chaotic mess of leaves. Paving stones had strewn out of place and you had to watch each step with caution whenever someone went in the garden- though it was clearly rare for someone to do so.

"I-I don't see anything different, Professor..." Luke told his mentor and role model.

"That's because you're not looking in the right place, Luke," The Professor responded as he tilted his glance upwards.

"Huh...?" Luke watched the Professor and swiftly copied. "The... The sky?"

"Not quite..." The Professor replied. "Didn't you once tell me that the first time you met Arianna you two looked up at the stars?" The Professor smiled and looked back at Luke. He smiled even more so once he saw that Luke's tears were beginning to subside as his apprentice looked up at the night sky. "Coincidentally," The Professor continued. "I've found that whenever you lose someone you care about, it is always a good idea to look up at the night sky, find the brightest star you can see, and say goodbye."

The Professor's words caught Luke slightly off guard, he was beginning to get distracted the sky. The night sky could be breathtaking, when it wasn't too cloudy, of course. Another set of tears found themselves rolling down Luke's cheeks. It certainly was devastating enough knowing that you have to say a final goodbye to someone- especially someone your heart had grown fond of. The Professor decided not to intervene; he knew how hard the first last goodbye was. There wasn't a way to make it stop hurting, just a way to learn to live on. Luke would learn that in his own time, but for now...

"Goodbye, Arianna..." Luke said, his eyes fixed upon a shining white light in the sky. "Goodbye."

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 **AN: Reviews are cool. I'll try and post another story idea I have soon. And update the one I currently have.**


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